Chapter 20
Upon getting off the bus, Mayra angrily strode toward the opposite direction of her school. After a while, she spotted Gordan cycling toward her on his bike.
Without hesitation, she reached out and grabbed his uniform, forcing him to come to a stop. Gordon glanced down at her hand and frowned. "Let go."
Mayra yelled angrily, "Tell me why you didn't answer my calls!"
Avoiding her gaze, Gordon muttered, "No particular reason. I've just been really busy. In the future… don't look for me again. Now, would you please let go?"
Mayra argued, "But didn't you say you would tutor me? If I don't make it into the top ten in this mock exam, I'll be expelled. Don't you want to see me again, Gordon?"
Gordon remained silent, not daring to meet her gaze. He was afraid that if he did, he would give in.
Seeing that she still wasn't letting go, Gordan said in a raised voice, "Let go! Class is about to start soon!"
Mayra had always been a stubborn person. She held onto his uniform tightly, unwilling to let go. "If you don't give me an explanation, I won't let go. Since you insist on ignoring me, then I won't go to class anymore. No one cares about me anyways."
Gordan furrowed his brows and lifted his gaze to look at her. He finally gave in, "Didn't I ask you to memorize the formulas? And how about the vocabulary? Have you been reading the extracurricular books I told you to?"
Mayra nodded, "I've done everything you asked and have memorized all the vocabulary. You can test me if you'd like."
She then muttered lowly, "Gordan, I don't like it when you ignore me."
Gordan replied, "I understand. I won't ignore you anymore. You should go. Class starts in five minutes. I'll meet you in the library at noon for tutoring. But in the future… I probably won't have time to tutor you after school anymore."
Mayra frowned but quickly regained her composure. She revealed a bright smile, once again returning to her usual happy self. She nodded. "Okay. I'll come find you in the afternoon."
Gordan shook his head. "No need. Just meet me in the library."
Worried he would go back on his words, Mayra quickly took her leave. "I'll be heading to class now. Don't you dare bail on me, Gordan!"
With only a second to spare, Mayra finally made it to school. She panted as she entered the classroom, relieved to find that her teacher, Nina, had yet to arrive.
Just as she settled into her seat, the math class representative walked over to her with a stack of test paper in hand. "Mayra, Ms. Nina wants to see you in the teachers' office."
Mayra had just placed her bag down. Upon hearing this, she instantly felt a sense of uneasiness grow within her.
She arrived at the teacher's office and immediately spotted Nina at her desk, glaring at her fiercely. "Mayra, get over here." Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
Mayra hesitantly walked over. "You wanted to see me, Ms Nina?"
As soon as these words left her mouth, she suddenly felt something fly toward her, painfully brushing across her face. She glanced at the test papers that were scattered all over the ground.
Nina yelled, "Don't you remember what I told you last time? You really never learn, do you? Are you that desperate to be in a relationship?
"Indeed, Gordan may come from a difficult background, but are you aware that he doesn't even need to take the college entrance exam? He's already been recommended for admission.
"Just take a look at yourself, Mayra. You're an orphan with no one to rely on. If you don't study hard now, who will you rely on in the future? Your brother doesn't even care about you anymore. I really don't understand what's going through your mind every day!"
The paper had left a small cut on Mayra's neck. She stuttered, "Ms. Nina, it's not like that. I don't know what you heard or who's spreading lies, but Gordan is merely tutoring me."
Nina scoffed, "Don't try to lie to me. This morning, on the bus, you shouted out Gordan's name in front of so many students! Just what were you thinking?
"Do you think you're some kind of heroine? Let me tell you, without good grades, you'll end up washing dishes and mopping floors as a living!"